Conveyer



No.- amass. Patented Sept. 27, I898.

F. F. LANDIS.

CONVEYER.

(Application filed Dec. 31, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet .I.

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PATENT rricn.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,383, dated September 27, 1898. Application filed D cem r 31, 1897- Serial llo. 664,977. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANK F. LANDIs, acitizen of the United States, residing at Waynesborough, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oonveyers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My said invention consists in an improved form of conveyer, particularly of that class used in threshing machines to discharge tail ends to the elevator or the straw and chaff to the pneumatic stacker, or other discharging or carrying-away devices whereby various defects in the operation and results of the conveyers in common use for such purposes are overcome, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which aremade a part hereof, and on which similar lettersof reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a sectional view through a conveyer-casin g and the stacker-fan casing of a threshing-machine, showing my improved form of conveyer in top plan; Fig. 2, a similar View of a portion of the conveyer sepa rately, looking at the conveyer-flights from the otherpoint of view, as after a quarter-tn rn of the conveyer from the position shown in Fig. 1. (Notice Fig. 3.) Fig. 3 is a crosssection through the conveyer, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the. dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are cross-sections through the spiral arms of the conveyer-flights on the dotted lines 4, 5 5, 6 6, and 7 7 in Fig. 3, showing the shape and angle of the face of said arms at the various points; Fig. 8, a perspective View of one of the conveyer sections or flights; and Fig. 9, a section looking, as indicated by the arrows, from dotted line 9 9 in Fig. 1.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the casing, B the shaft, and C the conveyer sections or flights. Said casing A and shaft B are or may be of any construction or form suitable for the particular work desired to do, and may be arranged to discharge into a stacker fan-casing A, as shown,

tion, and therefore the description of the peculiar form of one of said arms will make all the details of construction plain. Each of said arms extends out from its hub straight for a distance and then describes a curve, the radius of which is (for illustration) one-half of the diameter of the conveyer,being of this considerable size to give free relief to the material gathered on the edge and not throw it outside the blade. From the top of said curve the arm extends in a forward and spiral direction, with its outer edge parallel with or equidistant throughout its length from the axis of the shaft. In cross-section it will be seen that the front face of the arm is formed plane or straight throughout its length, while it has a strengtheningrib c extending back from the inner edge at an angle with said face, thus providing for the needed strength and rigidity with the least possible weight of parts. Thefaceofthe radialportionisformed with its outer edge (in the direct-ion of its motion) considerably behind (in relation to the direction of the material) its inner edge, pre senting such face at such an angle as will gather and propel forward the material as desired. From the curved portion forward to the end of the arm, however, the face of the portion, the outer edge of which is parallel with the shaft, is twisted, so that the outside or front edge is in advance of the inner or rear edge. It is also formed with said inner or rear edge at an angle with said shaft, its

I distance therefrom increasing gradually from said curve to its end. The several arms and sections being thus constructed and shaped, the construction of the entire conveyer will be readily understood, and the purpose of these peculiar features in the form and construction of these parts will be explained.

One of the leading objections found to conr00 veyers in common use for the purposes men tioned, such as the screw conveyer, is that it will not take hold of the material to gather it readily when run at high speed, the continuous edge and centrifugal act-ion holding the material off until the casing becomes filled, when it takes hold suddenly and either forces the entire contents out in a bunch or clogs, in either event an unsatisfactory result. Conveyers with flights or wings of the forms heretofore used set at intervals have been found to chop the straw and feed in-an irregular and unsatisfactory manner. Conveyerreels as heretofore constructed produce radial air-currents when run at high speed, because of the centrifugal action,which tend to blow the material out of the casinginstead of drawing it in. By the use of the form of conveyer flights or sections above described as a part of the subject-matter of this application these difficulties are overcome. The face of the horizontal part of the several arms being set with its outer edge decidedly in front of its inner edge, only the sharp narrow edge is presented to the air, offering the least possible resistance and causing inward instead of outward currents, facilitating the drawing in of the material. The face of the radial part of said several arms is set at an angle to propel said material forward in a horizontal direction toward the discharge end. The inner edge of the spiral forwardly-extending part of said arms being rounded and inclined away from the shaft allows the material to clear freely and not bind under said edge, and the outer edge is shown equidistant throughout its length from the shaft and casing, so that it will operate uniformly in propelling the material forward. This form is especially desirable where the material is' fine and of considerable weight, such as grain or tailings. In conveyers of large diameter to run at high speed and operate on light coarse material, such as straw, the outer edges may be parallel with the inner edges. Long smooth edges on which the material can slide freely being presented to it at all parts the cutting and breaking of the material are obviated, and the peculiar form and arrangement secure a constant and even feed, being adapted to handle the material as fast as it comes to the conveyer-casing.

In arranging the conveyer-section on the shaft the radial portions of the arms of the several sections are adjusted in line with each other. Thus the spiral blade on one side of one section delivers directly in the path of the blade on the opposite side of the section next in front, thus making in effect a double screw propeller or conveyer, keeping the material divided and giving a more rapid forward and whirling motion than is obtained by conveyers of a common construction, while if they were set alternately at right angles with each other it would result in practically a continuous screw conveyer and the material would terial is fed along its entire length the amount of material increases toward the discharge end, being'the greatest at the discharge-point. In order to handle the material evenly, the capacity of the conveyer should be consequently increased toward the discharge end. I therefore adjust the sections at the discharge end nearer to each other and gradually increase the distance between them toward the opposite end. By this arrangement I provide a conveyer with its capacity graduated throughout its entire length to suit the different degrees of work required thereof.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A conveyer consisting of a casing and a shaft with separate conveyer flights or sections secured thereon at intervals, each composed of arms extending out at right angles I with the shaft and then spirally for-a distance equidistant from said shaft throughout its length the distance between adjacent sections decreasing toward the discharge end of the conveyer, substantially as set forth.

2. A conveyer consisting of a casing and a shaft with conveyer-sections mounted thereon at intervals, said sections being formed of arms extending out from the shaft in a radial direction and then curved and extended forward in a substantially horizontal and spiral direction, substantially as set forth.

3. A conveyer consisting of a casing and a shaft with conveyer-sections thereon, said sections consisting of arms extending radially out from the shaft then curved and extending forward spirally, said several sections being arranged with the radial portions of said arms in line with each other, substantially as set forth.

4. A conveyer consisting of a casing and a shaft with conveyer flights or sections thereon, said sections consisting of arms extending out from said shaft and then forward spirally, the outer edges of said forwardlyextended portions being in advance of their inner edges.

5. A conveyer consisting of a casing and a shaft with conveyer-flights thereon portions of which extend substantially equidistant throughout their length from the shaft, the outer edges of which portions are in advance of the inner edges, substantially at set forth.

6. A conveyer consisting of a casing, and a shaft with conveyer flights thereon, said flights consisting of radial arms with horizontal outer ends, the outer edges of said radial portions being behind their inner edges, and the outer edges of the horizontal portions being in advance of their inner edges, substantially as set forth.

7. A conveyer consisting of a casing and a shaft with conveyer sections thereon, portions of which sections extend in a substantialiy horizontal plane, the outer edges thereof being substantially parallel with the shaft, and the inner edges being tapered away from the shaft toward the discharge end, substantially as set forth.

8. A conveyer consisting of a casing, a shaft, and eonveyer flights or sect-ions mounted on said shaft at intervals throughout its length,

each of said sections consisting of two arms secured on opposite sides of the shaft, and each arm consisting of a radial portion extending out from the shaft, then a curved portion with a gradually-rounded outer edge, and then a horizontally-extendin g spiral portion, substantially as set forth.

9. A conveyor consisting of a casing and a shaft with a series of conveyer flights or sections mounted thereon at intervals througl1- out its length, each of said sections consisting of a hub adjustably secured to the shaft and carrying conveyer-arms which extend out from said hub radially and then are curved and extend horizontally, substantially as set forth.

10. A conveyor consisting of a casing, a shaft, and conveyerflights or sections mounted on said shaft at intervals throughout its length, each of said sections consisting of two arms secured on opposite sides of the shaft, and each arm consisting of a radial portion, then a curved portion with its outer edge rounded,then a horizontally-extendin g spiral, substantially as set forth.

11. A conveyer-flight comprising a horizontally and spirally extending arm with its outer edge in advance of its inner edge, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK F. LANDIS.

Witnesses:

T. S. CUNNINGHAM, R. B. MALsBY. 

